AUB hosts multi-stakeholder meeting for post-war reconstruction of the south
The American University of Beirut in collaboration with the United Nations Habitat program organized on Oct 18 a consultative meeting for municipal, governmental and non-governmental groups active in the south in order to discuss how to enhance the post-war reconstruction effort.
The meeting was meant to address all aspects of a new two-year project called "Good Governance for Enhanced Post-War Reconstruction," which is implemented by UN-HABITAT in partnership with the union of municipalities of Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Jabal Aamel, and in cooperation with Beit bil Jnub and ACTED associations, and the American University of Beirut. Funded by the Netherlands and Cyprus with $800,000 and $500,000 respectively, the project hopes to reach some 4,000 affected southern families within two years, helping rebuild destroyed houses while preserving the local architectural style. It also expects to set up regional technical offices in order to ensure sustainability of the project.
 "This is a project that ensures that our work will have a direct impact on the ground, in terms of policy-making, local and community development. It is also a culmination of the work we started right after the war," said Mona Harb, assistant professor of architecture and design and one of the active members of AUB's Reconstruction and Community Development Taskforce, an interdisciplinary advisory group which was set up by President John Waterbury in August 2006, in response to the July War of that year. The taskforce focuses on potential engagement of the University in public service projects and seeks to integrate it into AUB's mission and objectives, with the aim of alleviating suffering and ravages of war.
Already, on-the-ground work has begun through the efforts of Beit bil Jnub, a young non-profit organization led by an AUB graduate of urban design, Rabih Shibli, who currently also teaches a course on landscape design.
AUB's main role in the new project is to monitor and evaluate the work and offer consultative technical expertise. Led by Jala Makhzoumi, an associate professor of landscape design and ecomanagement, the project is expected to enhance the capacities of the municipalities and concerned local groups; further their role in the areas of rebuilding according to spatial planning considerations and specific design guidelines; and monitor and oversee the process of reconstruction as a tool to improve and speed up rebuilding, specifically in towns where the level of destruction was high.
Wednesday's meeting saw a high turnout, a reflection of the southern communities interest and engagement in the reconstruction process. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the two donor countries: Dutch Ambassador Robert Zeldenrust and Dutch and Cypriot Charges D'affaires Nelleke Kruijs Voorberge and Kyriacos Kouros, respectively.
 UN Habitat representatives, Dania Rifaii and Tarek Osseiran, overviewed the project with meeting participants, addressing their concerns, which included fears of duplication with other independent projects as well as the need for cooperation among stakeholders in order to prevent violations of Lebanese urban planning laws.
"The meeting was excellent," said Harb. "We were extremely pleased that all the various stakeholders were represented."
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